Kirk Douglas obituary

One of the greatest Hollywood film stars, loved for his roles in Spartacus, The Vikings and Lust for Life

George Steiner obituary

Polymath devoted to an ideal of literacy as private reading and to exploring the relationship between the Holocaust and civilisation

Poet and academic who aimed to create a distinctively Caribbean form of poetry to celebrate the region’s voices and language

Artist who designed much admired symbolist covers for Agatha Christie novels

Other lives: Lawyer, writer and poet, with a commitment to interfaith work between Muslims, Jews and Christians

Other lives: Pioneering female figure in development economics

Other lives: Skiffle singer, poet, songwriter and activist

Broadcaster and popular stalwart of Radio 4’s Today programme whose dismissal in 1996 infuriated listeners

Author of Haunts of the Black Masseur: The Swimmer As Hero

Monty Python star whose talents were highlighted in the show that revolutionised British TV comedy

Son of JRR Tolkien who edited much of his father’s posthumously published work including The Silmarillion

Other lives: Economist who focused on colonialism and inequality

Italian film-maker and author who became a founding member of the British Free Cinema movement

Philosopher, writer and political thinker with controversial views on education, hunting and architecture

Author of Prozac Nation who was at the forefront of a new generation of writers willing to reveal themselves